OUR MISSION Colorado State University Athletic Compliance Newsletter Friday, October 7, 2011 This Issue Athletic Department News P.1 Upcoming Meetings P.2 Compliance Quiz P.3 P.4-8 The purpose of the Colorado State University Department of Athletics is to recruit, educate, develop and graduate studentathletes within an environment that pursues excellence, values integrity and ethical conduct, promotes respect for all individuals, teaches sportsmanship, entertains our constituents and emphasizes championship performance. COMPLIANCE STAFF Shalini Shanker Assistant AD for Compliance 3 McGraw Athletic Center Phone: 970-491-6170 Fax: 970-491-3226 shalini.shanker@colostate.edu John Infante Assistant Director of Compliance Academic and Training Center Phone: 970-491-5459 Fax: 970-491-2372 john.infante@colostate.edu Athletic Department News As we are soon approaching the time where National Letters of Intent are being sent out please keep in mind the following guidelines and restrictions which apply to high school, preparatory school and/or transfer school prospective students-athletes. Before you provide a written offer of athletically-related financial aid information make certain the prospective student-athlete is registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, placed on Colorado State University s Institutional Request List (IRL) within the NCAA Eligibility Center and has completed the amateurism certification questionnaire administered by the NCAA Eligibility Center. An NLI must be accompanied by an offer of athletically related financial aid. Coaches are prohibited from sending a prospect a written offer of aid prior to August 1 st of their senior in high school, either directly and indirectly (i.e. through their family, friends, the school they attend, coaches or any person who is directly involved with activities they participate in). National Letters of Intent are not allowed to be delivered in person or delivered off-campus by any Colorado State University staff member. Letters may only be delivered by express mail, courier service, regular mail, electronic mail or facsimile machine. Coaches may not have contact with prospects during the signing of the letter. These prohibitions also extend to attending any event which surrounding to their NLI signing or commitment to attend Colorado State University. However you may have contact with a prospect for purposes other than delivering or signing the NLI during the signing period provided it is otherwise permissible to do so. Page 1
M E E T I N G S R E M I N D E R S I S S U E RECRUITING PERIODS Permissible to have inperson contact on or offcampus, watch the PSA play, or visit his or her high school Men s Basketball October 1 - October 5 October 6 - November 5 Evaluation Period Recruiting Calendar Women s Basketball October 1 - October 6 October 7 - November 5 Evaluation Period Football October 1 - November 5 Evaluation Period Evaluation Period Permissible to watch a PSA Softball Cross Country Track & Field Volleyball play, or visit the high school but cannot have any in- October 1 - November 5 October 1 - November 5 October 1 - November 5 person conversations Dead Period NOT permissible to make in person contacts or evaluations on or offcampus at any time Quiet Period Permissible to make inperson recruiting contacts ONLY ON CAMPUS. Aquatics Coaches Compliance Meeting - Oct. 10, 9:00 AM Track and Field Coaches Compliance Meeting - Oct. 12, 9:00 AM Women s Basketball Coaches Compliance Meeting - Oct. 17, 10:00 AM Golf and Tennis Coaches Compliance Meeting - Oct. 19, 10:00 AM In football, basketball, and volleyball, in-person scouting of opponents is prohibited. The only exception is that staff members may scout additional future opponents at the same regular season or postseason tournament site, or in basketball at a double header held at the same site. In basketball and volleyball, once the field is selected for a postseason event, CSU may purchase video from an individual or scouting service until the end of the championship. In all other sports, CSU may not pay expenses for the in-person scouting of opponents. Page 2
CSU COMPLIANCE DON T FORGET TO ASK BEFORE YOU ACT!!! Compliance Quiz 1) You can not submit a National Letter of Intent to which of the following prospective student-athletes? A) High School B) Prep School C) A student in the middle of an academic school year D) Transfer student 2) remain in effect until the prospective student-athlete enrolls at the signing institution. A) Gray shirting B) Recruiting Bans C) Academic Probation D) Basic Penalties 3) When does a NLI become null and void? A) If a prospective student-athlete works full time for one academic year and they have been denied athletically related financial aid for the following fall term. B) If a prospective student-athlete has attended an institution for an academic year and has been accepted for an athletically related financial aid for the following fall term. C) If a prospective student-athletes parent or guardian and the signing institution coach has made prior plans to extend the deadline for the prospective studentathlete to attend the school. D) If a prospective student-athlete does not attend any institution for at least one academic year and they have been denied athletically related financial aid for the following fall term. 4) When a coach decides to leave an institution when does the National Letter of Intents that have been signed and submitted due to his/her recruiting become considered invalid? A) As soon as they submit their letter of resignation B) When a current coach gets in contact with the prospective student-athlete and re-recruits them into the institution before the academic year they have originally signed for. C) When the school notifies the prospective student-athlete the coach is no longer going to be at the institution D) Never. The prospective student-athlete signs an NLI with the school therefore not promising they will be coached by their recruiter or with a specific group of people. A N S W E R K E Y 1. D; NLI Provision 1 2. B; NLI Provision 8 3. D; NLI Provision 7C 4. D; NLI Provision 11 Page 3
Calculating the Average Number of Grants-in-Aid -- Football Championship Subdivision Opponent (I) Date Published: September 9, 2011 Type: Staff Interpretation Item Ref: a The academic and membership affairs staff determined that an institution may count the greater of the number of grants-in-aid awarded as of the first day of classes for the academic year or the number of grants-inaid awarded by the conclusion of the academic year when calculating the number of grants-in-aid averaged over a rolling two-year period. Further, financial aid that could otherwise be exempted from an institution's equivalency computation (e.g., academic honor awards) may be included when calculating this average, provided the full amount of the aid is also counted toward the individual student-athlete's equivalency and the institutional grant-in-aid limitation. It is not permissible to exempt financial aid for the purpose of meeting institutional limitations and count the same aid for purposes of the rolling two-year average. [References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 15.5.6.2 (championship subdivision football); 18.7.2.2.1 (exception -- football championship subdivision opponent) and 20.9.7.2.1 (exception -- football championship subdivision opponent)] See Also Issued by Staff 8/30/11 Approved by LRIC 9/8/11 Determining a Prospective Student-Athlete's Educational Institution (I) Date Published: September 9, 2011 Type: Staff Interpretation Item Ref: b The academic and membership affairs staff determined that, for the purpose of providing return transportation following an official visit, a prospective student-athlete's educational institution is the high school, preparatory school or two-year college at which the prospective student-athlete is currently enrolled and has attended class(es). [Reference: Bylaw 13.5.2.1 (general restrictions)] See Also Issued by Staff 8/30/11 Approved by LRIC 9/8/11 Payment of Expenses During a Self-Financed Tryout -- Men's Ice Hockey and Skiing (I) Date Published: September 12, 2011 Type: Staff Interpretation Item Ref: c The academic and membership affairs staff confirmed that, in men's ice hockey and skiing, if a prospective student-athlete participates in a self-financed tryout with a professional sports organization, the prospect must pay for all expenses at the time the expenses are incurred (e.g., pay for meals at the time they are eaten) or make normal arrangements (e.g., use of a credit card) for payment of all expenses incurred at the site of the tryout, regardless of whether the site is owned or operated by a professional sports organization. In other words, in men's ice hockey and skiing, it is not permissible for a professional athletics team or organization to incur the cost of a tryout (in excess of 48 hours) for a prospect and subsequently be reimbursed by the prospect or the prospect's parents. [References: 12.2.1.1 (tryout before enrollment -- men's ice hockey and skiing), 12.2.1.3 (tryout after enrollment -- men's ice hockey and skiing) and a staff interpretation (07/18/97, Item No. 1-b), which has been archived] Page 4
Certification of Institutional Aid Unrelated to Athletics Ability (I) Date Published: September 12, 2011 Type: Staff Interpretation Item Ref: a The academic and membership affair staff confirmed that an institution is not permitted to certify that a student-athlete's institutional financial aid is unrelated in any degree to athletics ability if the studentathlete's athletics participation or achievements are criteria specifically requested as part of the application process for such aid. An institution may certify that the student-athlete's aid is unrelated in any degree to athletics ability (even if the student-athlete lists athletics participation or achievements as part of his or her extracurricular activities), provided such factors were not specifically requested as part of the application process and were not taken into consideration in awarding the institutional aid to the student-athlete. [References: NCAA Bylaws 15.5.1 (counters), 15.5.1.1 (no athletics aid -- certification required), 15.5.1.2 (football or basketball, varsity competition) and an official interpretation (8/27/98, Item No. 1), which has been archived] Recruiting -- Recruiting Materials -- Athletics Publications -- Provision of Athletics Publications to Prospective Student-Athletes (I) Item Ref : 4 Date Published: September 19, 2011 Educational Column: NCAA Division I institutions should note that an institution may produce a printed media guide; however, an institution shall not provide a printed media guide or any printed athletics publication not listed in NCAA Bylaw 13.4.1.1 to a prospective student-athlete, his or her parents or legal guardians, the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or any individual involved in the coaching of a prospective studentathlete. However, an institution may provide a media guide to a prospective student athlete via electronic mail, hyperlink or post the media guide on its website. Further, it is not permissible to make a printed media guide or any other printed athletics publication not listed in Bylaw 13.4.1.1 available free of charge to a prospective student-athlete, his or her parents or legal guardians, the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or any individual involved in the coaching of a prospective student-athlete, even if such publications are available to other members or the general public free of charge. Finally, an institution may not create a printed portfolio of information (e.g., pictures) to be used in the recruiting process. The following questions and answers are designed to assist the Division I membership with the application of this legislation. Please note that when a prospective student-athlete is referenced it also includes his or her parents or legal guardians, the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or any individual involved in the coaching of a prospective student-athlete. Question No. 1: May an institution produce more than one media guide? Answer: No. Institutions may have only one official media guide per sport; that being the publication that is provided to the media and related to the institution's sports program. Question No. 2: If an institution produces a printed media guide, do the color, size and page restrictions apply? (cont. on next page) Page 5
Answer: Yes. A printed media guide remains limited to only one color of print inside the cover, a size not in excess of 8 ½ by 11 inches and a length of 208 pages. Any supplemental information (e.g., historical information, records) related to the media guide may be posted on the institution's website, printed in black and white and provided to the media. Question No. 3: May an institution produce additional athletics publications (e.g., spring football prospectus, yearbook) and provide them to prospective student-athletes? Answer: If an institution produces an additional athletics publication pursuant to Bylaw 13.4.1.3, posts the publication on the institution's website and it was not created for recruiting purposes, it may be sent to a prospective student-athlete via electronic mail as an attachment or a hyperlink. Further, such information may be printed on plain white paper with black ink and provided to a prospective student-athlete as an attachment to general correspondence, via facsimile or during a permissible on- or off-campus contact. Question No. 4: If an institution produces a printed media guide, does the electronic version that is provided to prospective student-athletes have to be an exact reproduction of the printed media guide? Answer: Yes. The electronic version of an institution's printed media guide must be an exact reproduction of the printed media guide. Question No. 5: If an institution only produces an electronic media guide, do the color, size and page restrictions apply? Answer: No, the color, size and page restrictions are not applicable if an institution only produces an electronic media guide. Question No. 6: May an institution provide a printed media guide that is not created for recruiting purposes to a prospective student-athlete? Answer: Regardless of whether a printed media guide is created for recruiting purposes, it is not permissible to provide it to a prospective student-athlete. It is also not permissible to print an electronic version of a media guide and provide it to a prospective student-athlete regardless of whether it is created for recruiting purposes. Question No. 7: If an institution contracts with a third party to produce its printed media guides, is it permissible for a prospective student-athlete to receive a printed media guide from the third party free of charge? Answer: No. The third party is acting on behalf of the institution to produce the printed media guide; therefore, it is not permissible for a prospective student-athlete to receive a printed media guide from the third party free of charge. Question No. 8: If an institution sells its printed media guides to the general public (e.g., at the institution's bookstore), is it permissible for a prospective student-athlete to purchase a copy of the printed media guide? Answer: Yes. Provided the media guide is purchased in the same manner and at the same cost as is available to the general public, it is permissible for a prospective student-athlete to purchase a printed media guide from the institution. Page 6 [References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 13.4.1 (recruiting materials); 13.4.1.1 (printed recruiting materials); 13.4.1.1.2 (athletics publication); 13.4.1.1.2.1 (media guide restrictions); 13.4.1.2 (electronic transmissions); 13.4.1.3 (other recruiting materials) and staff interpretation (7/6/10 Item No. 1) which has been archived]
Application of Progress-Toward-Degree Requirements to Student-Athletes with Multiple Majors (I) Item Ref : 3 Date Published: September 19, 2011 Educational Column: NCAA Division I institutions should note that, when certifying a student-athlete who has declared two majors within the same degree program, an institution may, but is not required to, include course requirements applicable to both majors for purposes of calculating percentage of degree, provided the student-athlete would be permitted to graduate without completing both majors (i.e., upon completion of one major or the other). For example, if a student-athlete is pursuing a Bachelors of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree with majors in marketing and finance, it is permissible to certify percentage of degree based on the total requirements necessary to graduate with both majors (i.e., increase the denominator to account for the additional requirements of the second major) or to certify percentage of degree based on the requirements of either a B.B.A. in marketing or a B.B.A. in finance, as long as the student-athlete would be permitted to graduate with only one of the two declared majors. If the institution chooses to include only requirements necessary to graduate with one of two majors when certifying percentage of degree, the institution must count only credits applicable to the same major in determining fulfillment of the credit-hour requirements. Therefore, if the institution, in the example above, certified percentage of degree based only on the requirements of the B.B.A. in marketing, it would not be permissible to consider courses applicable only to requirements for the B.B.A. in finance in determining whether the student-athlete meets the credit-hour requirements. If an institution certifies percentage of degree based on all course requirements necessary to graduate with both majors, credits obtained toward either major may be used to meet credit-hour requirements, provided the student-athlete was enrolled in the applicable major during the term in which the credits were earned. For example, if a student-athlete enrolls in a B.B.A in marketing for the fall term and adds a second major in finance prior to or during the spring term, credits earned during the spring term would be degree applicable if they meet course requirements for either the marketing or finance majors, provided the institution certifies percentage of degree using all requirements necessary to graduate with both majors. Finally, credits from two separate degree programs may not be combined to meet progress-toward-degree requirements. Therefore, a student-athlete who has designated two separate degree programs [e.g., Bachelors of Science (B.S.) in Management and a Bachelor of Arts (B.A. in International Relations] must be certified on the basis of course requirements in only one of the two degree programs. [References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 14.4.3.1 (fulfillment of credit-hour requirements), 14.4.3.1.8 (hours earned or accepted for degree credit) and 14.4.3.2 (fulfillment of percentage of degree requirements); and staff interpretations (11/10/89, Item No. e), (9/18/92, Item No. c), (2/3/95, Item No. a) and (4/22/98, Item No. b)] Page 7
NCAA Bylaw 14.5.4.2 -- Transferable English and Math Credit (I) Item Ref : 1 Date Published: September 19, 2011 Educational Column: NCAA Division I institutions should note, pursuant to NCAA Bylaw 14.5.4.2, a two-year college transfer student-athlete who was not a qualifier must complete satisfactorily a minimum of 48 semester or 72 quarter hours of transferable degree credit acceptable toward any baccalaureate degree program at the certifying institution, including six semester or eight quarter hours of transferrable English credit and three semester or four quarter hours of transferable math credit. The following questions and answers are designed to assist the Division I membership with the application of this legislation. Question: If a transfer math course is evaluated and accepted by the institution's math department as math credit, but is not classified with a MATH label/heading in the course catalog, does the course satisfy the transfer requirement? Answer: Yes, the course satisfies the transfer requirement. The certifying institution's math department must accept the course as math credit. A label of MATH for the course is not required to meet the transfer requirement. Question: If a course transfers into an institution as math credit (e.g., MATH 999, MAT XXXX, Math Elective) but is not equated to a specific course offering at the certifying institution (e.g., MATH 101, MATH 2122) does the course satisfy the transfer requirement? Answer: Yes, the course satisfies the transfer requirement. The transferable math course (e.g., MATH 999) is not required to match a specific course offered at the certifying institution. A math elective may fulfill the transferable math requirement. Question: If a transfer student-athlete's course is accepted as a quantitative reasoning requirement at the certifying institution, (e.g., computer science, business statistics, philosophy of logic, architectural structures, social science statistics, music acoustics) does the course meet the transferable math requirement? Answer: A course meets the transfer requirement if the math department determines it to fulfill a math credit requirement in any degree program at the certifying institution. A course that transferred into another department but met a quantitative reasoning requirement would not be considered a math course (e.g., logic course offered in the philosophy department). Question: If a transfer student-athlete's course is accepted as a humanities writing requirement at the certifying institution, does the course meet the transferable English requirement? Answer: A course meets the transfer requirement if the English department determines it to fulfill an English credit requirement in any degree program at the certifying institution. A course that transferred into another department but met a writing requirement would not be considered an English course (e.g., history course with a writing component). [References: NCAA Bylaws 14.5.4.2 (not a qualifier) (applicable to student-athletes who first enroll full time in a collegiate institution on or after August 1, 2009), staff interpretation (3/19/09, Item No. b) and an educational column (11/05/09, Item No. 1)] Page 8
Student-Athlete's Voluntary Release of Institution's Obligation to Provide Athletically Related Financial Aid (I) Date Published: September 21, 2011 Type: Staff Interpretation Item Ref: a The academic and membership affairs staff confirmed that once a prospective or enrolled student-athlete signs an institution's financial aid agreement, it is not permissible to voluntarily release the institution's obligation to provide athletically related financial aid, except under the conditions set forth in the release of obligation to provide athletically related financial aid legislation. [References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 15.3.4.2 (reduction or cancellation permitted), 15.3.4.2.5 (release of obligation to provide athletically related financial aid), 15.3.4.3 (reduction or cancellation not permitted) and 15.3.4.3.2 (decrease not permitted)] NCAA Division I Bylaw 13.1.7.8 -- Evaluation Days -- Basketball -- Attendance at Scholastic and Nonscholastic Events During the Academic Year (I) Item Ref : 1 Date Published: September 26, 2011 Educational Column: NCAA Division I institutions should note the following restrictions apply to evaluations in men's and women's basketball during the academic year: General For purposes of applying the legislation, a regular scholastic activity is any activity involving only students enrolled at a particular high school, preparatory school or two-year college that has been approved by the appropriate authority at the scholastic institution. An activity that is organized for the purpose of allowing a college coach or coaches to observe prospects demonstrating their athletics skill is not considered a regular scholastic activity, and would constitute an impermissible tryout. Men's Basketball During the academic year evaluation periods and the March and April contact periods, evaluations are limited to regularly scheduled high school, preparatory school and two-year college contests/ tournaments and practices and regular scholastic activities involving student-athletes enrolled only at the institution at which the regular scholastic activities occur. For example, Division I men's basketball coaches may attend high school pick-up games during a designated contact or evaluation period during the academic year, provided the activity has been approved by the appropriate authority at the high school as a regular scholastic activity and involves only students enrolled at the high school where the activity is occurring. Institutions should note that the pickup games may not be scheduled in consultation with an institution's coach or organized for the purpose of permitting institutional coaches to observe the prospective student-athletes participating in the activity. Evaluations may occur at the National Basketball Association (NBA) predraft camp. Page 9 Women's Basketball During the academic year, evaluations may occur at regularly scheduled high school, preparatory school and two-year college contests/tournaments, practices, pick-up games and open gyms. During the last full weekend of the fall contact period and the weekend of the spring evaluation period, evaluations at nonscholastic events that are certified per Bylaw 13.19, including events that are approved, sponsored or conducted by an applicable state, national or international governing body but are organized and conducted primarily for a recruiting purpose, are permitted. (cont. on following page)
(cont. from previous page Evaluations at nonscholastic events during the academic year evaluation period shall not occur during any weekend (including Friday, Saturday and Sunday) during which the PSAT, SAT, PLAN or ACT national standardized tests are administered. If the national standardized tests are administered on a date that conflicts with the fall nonscholastic evaluation weekend, evaluations at nonscholastic events shall be permissible during the first full weekend (including Friday, Saturday and Sunday) of the fall/ winter evaluation period. If the national standardized tests is administered on a date that conflicts with the spring nonscholastic evaluation weekend, the five-day evaluation period in April shall shift to the second Friday following the initial date of the spring National Letter of Intent signing period through the following Tuesday. For example, the first conflict between the testing date for the ACT and the identified five day evaluation period in April will occur in 2012. The ACT is scheduled for April 14, 2012. The five day evaluation period would be April 13-17. The five day evaluation period will shift to April 20-24 with the nonscholastic evaluation weekend being April 20-22. Evaluations may occur during an evaluation period at nonscholastic events that are approved, sponsored or conducted by an applicable state (e.g., state high school association), national (e.g., National Junior College Athletic Association) or international governing body (e.g., USA Basketball, United States Olympic Committee or international equivalent) and are not organized and conducted primarily for a recruiting purpose. [References: Bylaw 13.1.7.8 (evaluation days -- basketball), Bylaw 13.18 (basketball event certification -- men's basketball), Bylaw 13.19 (basketball event certification -- women's basketball); Porposal No. 2010-35 (recruiting -- basketball evaluation -- women's basketball -- nonscholastic evaluations during academic year -- national standardized testing weekend); and educational columns 3/12/2007 and 2/18/2011, which have been archived.] Expenses from a Recruiting Service of Event Operator (I/II/III) Item Ref : a Date Published: October 6, 2011 Educational Column: NCAA member institutions should note that all funds for the recruitment of prospective student-athletes shall be deposited directly with the member institution, which shall be exclusively and entirely responsible for the manner in which such funds are expended. Therefore, it is not permissible for any outside organization or individual (e.g., recruiting or scouting service, event operator) to provide institutional coaching staff members with expenses (e.g., travel, lodging) to attend any event for recruiting purposes. Such expenses are considered funds donated for recruiting purposes and such funds must be deposited directly with the member institution, as opposed to being provided directly to an institutional coaching staff member(s). Further, any individual or organization that provides funds directly to the athletics department would be considered a representative of athletics interests and subject to all legislation applicable to that status (e.g., contact, telephone and evaluation restrictions). [References: NCAA Division I Bylaws 13.1.2.4 (other restrictions, athletics representatives) and 13.14.4 (slush funds), Division II Bylaw 13.1.2.3 (other restrictions), Division III Bylaws 13.02.11 (representative of athletics interests) and 13.01.4 (recruiting by representatives of athletics interests), Divisions I and II Bylaws 13.02.14 (representatives of athletics interests) and 13.14.4 (slush funds), Divisions I, II and III Bylaw 13.14.1 (institutional control)] Page 10